Verbals and Verbal Phrases
ELAGSE8L1: Demonstrate command of the conventions
of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Explain the functions of verbals (gerunds, participles,
infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.
What is a VERBAL?
 A verb acting like another part of
speech
 3 types: infinitives, gerunds, and
participles
Infinitives
 to + a verb
 Can be used as a noun, an adjective,
or an adverb in a sentence
 Examples:
 I like to read before I go to sleep.
 Most people like to watch comedies on
TV.
 To succeed in school, you must work
hard.
Infinitives vs. Prepositional Phrases
 Be aware that the word TO does not
always mean you have an infinitive.
 If TO is not followed by a verb, it is
NOT an infinitive.
 I like to shop at the mall.
 Let’s go to the mall.
 Which sentence contains an infinitive
and which sentence contains a
prepositional phrase? Why?
Gerunds
 A verb acting like a noun
 Always ends in –ing
 Can be used as subjects, direct
objects and indirect objects, objects
of prepositions, and predicate
nominatives.
Gerunds continued
 Examples
 Swimming is my favorite sport.
 Do you like riding horses?
 Many students like playing basketball in PE.
 Gerund or not?
 The dog, carrying its bone in its mouth, ran
around the house.
 Carrying is NOT a gerund; not used as a noun
 Smiling is an indication that a person is happy.
 Smiling is a gerund; it is used as a noun
(subject of the the sentence)
Gerunds as Subjects
 A gerund (or gerund phrase) can be the
subject of a sentence.
 Gardening is my favorite leisure activity.
 The gerund Gardening is the subject of the
sentence.
 Decorating our house has been a family tradition
at Christmas for years.
 Decorating our house is the gerund phrase that is
the subject of the sentence.
 Roaring filled the air at the track.
 Roaring is a gerund used as the subject.
 Usually found at the beginning of the
sentence.
Gerunds as Predicate Nominative
 A predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun
which follows the verb and describes or renames
the subject. It is another way of naming the
subject. It follows a linking verb.
 Most of it was cheering.
 Cheering is a gerund used as the predicate
nominative.
 Gerund as a predicate nominative is a noun
found in the predicate.
 A predicate nominative completes the meaning of
a linking verb.
Gerunds as Direct Objects

A direct object is a noun or pronoun that receives the
action of a verb in a sentence. It answers the questions
what? or whom? about the verb.
 Mary hates biting her fingernails.
 Biting her finger nails is the gerund phrase. It is
a direct object in this sentence.
 Remember direct objects can be found by:
subject +verb+ who or what (direct object)?
 Mary=subject, hates= verb, Mary hates what? =
biting her fingernails (direct object).
 We could hear thundering.
 Thundering is a gerund used as a direct object.
 Receives the action of the verb.
Gerunds as Indirect Objects
 An indirect object is really a prepositional phrase
in which the preposition to or for is not stated but
understood. It tells to whom or for whom
something is done. The indirect object always
comes between the verb and the direct object.
Example: She gave me a gift.
 In Costa Rica, we gave zip lining a try.
 Zip lining is the gerund. It acts as an indirect object
in the sentence.
 As part of his exercise regimen, Jack madewalking
every day a priority.
 Walking is the gerund, and walking every day is the
gerund phrase. The gerund phrase acts as an
indirect object in the sentence.
Gerunds as Objects of Preposition
 The object of a preposition is the noun or
pronoun governed by a preposition.The object of
a preposition is usually (but not always) the noun
or pronoun immediately to the right of
the preposition.
 When the cars entered the track, we turned our
attention toward racing.
 Racing is the gerund used as the object of the
preposition.
 Make sure it is in a prepositional phrase by
finding the preposition.
Participles
 A verb acting like an adjective
 Often ends in –ing or –ed but
occasionally ends in another way
 Examples
 Smiling, the teacher collected homework
from her students.
 I like ice skating on frozen ponds.
 Barking dogs can be a nuisance.
 The burnt popcorn made the entire house
smell.
Participial Phrases
 A participial phrase is a participle and
all of its objects or modifiers
 Examples
 Rounding third base, the runner charged
toward home plate.
 The pitcher, losing control, has
overthrown the ball.
 Especially pleased, the crowd cheered
loudly.
Hints
 Participles and participial phrases are
almost always near the noun or pronoun
they modify.
 Participles and participial phrases can
usually be taken out of a sentence and the
sentence will still make sense.
 The skilled catcher trapped the wild pitch in his
mitt.
 The catcher trapped the wild pitch in his mitt.